Outboard trolling motors have become extremely popular for low speed maneuvering of small boats. Their ability to slowly traverse the boat across an area without excessive noise or disturbance of the water has made such trolling motors especially popular with fishermen where fishing by trolling requires slow movement of the boat, where the boat must be moved slowly through congested waters filled with stumps, blowdowns, and dense weed lines, and where it is critical that the fish not be frightened.
Trolling motors are typically mounted either on the bow or transom of a boat and include a submerged propulsion unit, a motor shaft or tube suspending a propulsion unit below the water surface, a generally horizontally extending head at the upper end of the motor shaft and a mounting mechanism rotatably supporting the motor tube and including a clamp for engaging the boat. The submerged propulsion unit typically comprises an electrically powered motor which drives the propeller to generate thrust. To vary the direction of thrust, the head typically includes controls for the submerged propulsion unit and a steering mechanism which rotates the motor tube and the submerged propulsion unit. The steering mechanism typically comprises either a steering arm or foot-operated remote control or a hand-held remote control. Foot-operated and hand-held remote controls typically utilize cables, rods, or other linkages which are operably coupled to a drum or a rack and pinion connected to the motor tube to rotate the motor tube and reorient the submerged propulsion unit with respect to the fixed head. Steering mechanisms utilizing steering arms or tillers require the operator to rotate the arm so as to rotate the motor tube. To avoid the problem of interference between the steering arm and the main outboard motor, many steering mechanisms utilizing tillers utilize a geared mechanism wherein the steering arm moves through shorter arc while the trolling motor completes a full 360 degree rotation.
Although widely used, such trolling motors have several associated drawbacks. Trolling motors are generally configured to propel the boat in a forward trolling direction. However, in many situations it is desirable to backtroll wherein the propulsion unit is oriented to propel the boat in a rearward or backward direction. Unfortunately, to orient the propulsion unit for backtrolling normally requires that the tiller or steering arm be extended away from the boat over the water. As a result, it is extremely inconvenient and difficult to steer the boat during backtrolling.
To facilitate back trolling, some trolling motors include a bolt which holds the head to the tube. To reorient the propulsion unit for backtrolling requires that the bolt be removed, that the tube and the propulsion unit be rotated 180.degree., and that the bolt be replaced. Because this procedure requires disassembly and reassembly of the trolling motor, this procedure is time consuming and inconvenient. Moreover, during this procedure, the bolt is often dropped, misplaced or lost. In addition to being difficult to adjust, such trolling motors also fail to provide the user with an indication of whether the propulsion unit is oriented in a forward direction or a rearward, backtrolling direction.
With such conventional trolling motors, the mounting mechanism commonly includes the pivot joint about which the head, the motor tube and the propulsion unit pivot to lift the trolling motor out of the water for stowing. To lift and pivot the trolling motor out of the water, the user must lean over the edge of the boat to grasp the motor tube and gain sufficient leverage. Leaning over the edge of the boat, grasping the motor tube, and lifting the motor tube and propulsion unit, is many times awkward and inconvenient. Moreover, once stowed, the head and the motor tube of the trolling motor, project into the boat where they constitute an obstruction and interfere with use of the primary outboard motor.
Thus, there is a continuing need for the trolling motor which is easily reindexed or adjusted to alternate between forward trolling and backtrolling, which is easy to lift out of the water and stow and which does not constitute an obstruction when stowed.